Pneumatic piano.



W. G. BETZ. PNEUMATIG PIANO.

APPLIUAHQN FILED 111111.13, 1911.

Patented Dgo-.31,1912

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEY'. l'

i W. GfBETm PNBUMATIG PIANO. APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 13,v 1911.

Patented 1380,31', 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

IVITNESSES: INVENTOR.

l 4 ATTORNEY.

ling had to matic pianos.

v regular hammer rest rail sirens Parana? onirica Winmx e. Bis'rz,

A conroafifrioiv.

IA'NQ MANUFACTURlNG COMYANY, 0F CHISAGO, ILLINOIS,

i PNEUMATIC EANO.`

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. S1, 1912.

lApplication'filed March 13, 1911. '.Serial No. 614,236.

secured various power pneumatics 25, there 'being only four, however, shown herein in Fig. 4, and each one is adaptedito actuate a group of hammers, say one-fourth of the total number in the piano. To the movable portion 26 of the power pneumatic 25 an arm 27 is secured and the rear end 'of 'said arm carries a secondary hammer rest -rail 28. It is individual because it engages lonly a group of hammer slianks. It is provided on its engaging surface with a felt cushion SOsimilar to the cushion 31 on'the main hammer rest rail. Each power pneumatic is actuated as follows:

To all whom it may concern.' l

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. Bn'rz, a citizen .of the United, States, and a resident Heights, county ofv ook, an State 'of Illinois, Ahave invented a certain useful Pneumatic Piano.; and I do hereby declare that thev following is a full clear, and exact description thereof, reference bethe accompanying drawings. The ob'ect of this invention is to provide a practical accentuating4 device for pneu- The chief feature consists in providing the of the piano action -with individual air chambers which are pro- There is a button in the front part of vided withpower pneumatics secured t0 the the piano in the key bed which depresses a regular hammer rest -rail and operate spring valve plate 3G and opeiis the end of v iition! of a part of from the line is broken away .40 rlhe're is shown in the i pedal= for actuating vthrough a valve in connection with the main To the regular an air tube 37 that enters a pouch chamber 38 in a valve box 89 which is secured to the main suction chamber 1G, as shown in Fig. 3. The incoming air :ictuates a pouch 40 which in turn actuales a valve 41 and opens a port 42. rlhen the suction in the chamber 16 exhaustsair through vfrom said suction chamber 1G and suction chamber 44 in the valve box 39 and then through the port 42, valve chamber tube' 46 which extends longitudinally into the end of the hammer rest rail air chamber of the suction bellows. Sai

power pneumatics through a bracket arm and a vsecondary hammer rest rail thereon push the piano hammer closer to the pianoA string so as to shorten Athe stroke of the ham mer and 'produce'a softer .tonal effect.

The nature of this invention will bc un#v drawings and the following description and claims.

' In the dra-wings Figure lis a vertical central section through a pneumatic piano equipped with said improvement. Fig. 2 is chamber 47 therein which is in communica.- a portion of the upper part of Fig. 1 with tion 4with the power pneumatic 25. This some of the parts thereof in altered position. coliapses said power pneumatic and moves Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through it to the position shown in Fig. 2, and thus are 'moved from the position 1 to the position shown in Fig. button 85 is released the parts position.

the hammers shown in Fig. 2. Nhen the resume their normal As shown in ig. 4 there are four of the tubes46, one for -each power (pneumatic 25. Two of them enter`one end of the hammer. rest rail 22 and two enter the other end thereof. Of course, the .invention .is not limited to any particular nniiibpr of these tubes 46 or power. pneumatica` 25', nor to bracket '17, a rail 18 thereon, hammer Shanks pneumatically .actuated `hammer resti rails and a hammer 28 of any particular length. ltfispbscrved rest rail 22 movably mounted on pivot rods that the main hammer restfrail-2'2 has a 122 so as to be operated in the usual way. recess 50 iii. its upper rearcorner .in/ which .All of tliese parts are old and constitute no the secondary'hammer rest rail 2S normally part of this invention and are shown merely lies sons to cooperate with the main hammer to explain the nat-ure of this invention, 'and rest rail in constituting a. totalhaminer rest theymaybemodiiied as desired. alie pneurail/adapted `to be operated by the usualy matic means for actuating the piano are not pianissimo pedal actuated means, which rtlshown, but' may be any known construction. ter, howeverfis not herein shown. There is, hammer rest ra" there are curse, one.valve boX 39 for each power l i v main air chamber and the valve mechaiiism associated therewith.V Fig. '4fis an elethe mechanism viewed 4-4 of Fig. 1, andthe same at diiferent places as shown.

drawings a pnei'imatic. piano with a case 10, key bed 11, ordinairviinger keys 12, pedal'l, bellows 1 4, edal connection 15 between the bellows andA the bellows, and a. main suction chamber 1G. There is .also an action 22- aiid from the air f Y the port 43 le-.i'ding pneumatic. Hence, in the device herein shown there are four of such valve boxes and each valve box is controlled by a separate button 35 and tube 37.

I claim as my'invention':

l. In a piano, the combination with ham-',-

mcrs an" Shanks and a main hammer rest rail arranged to engage the hammer Shanks, of a power pneumatic secured to said hammer rest rail, means for actuating said power pneumatic, and a secondary hammer rest rail actuated by said powerpneumatic and adapted to engage the hammer shanks.

V2. In a piano, the combination with a main hammer rest rail, of a power pneumatic secured to said hammer rest rail, means for actuating said power pneumatic7 an arm extending from the movable portion of said power pneumatic rearwardly over said power pneumatic and main hammer rest rail, and a secondary hammer rest rail secured to the rear end of said arm..

3. In a piano, the combination of hammers and Shanks and a main hammer rest rail arranged to engage the hammer Shanks provided with a suction chamber therein, a power pneumatic secured to said hammer rest rail and in communication with said suction chamber, means for exhausting air from said Suction chamber, and a secondary hammer' rest rail actuated bysaid power pneumatic and adapted .to engage the hammer Shanks. y

4. In a piano, the combination with a main hammer rest rail with a rear beveled surface and with a recess in the upper rear corner thereof, of a power pneumatic se-y cured to said main hammer restrail, a secondary hammer rest rail normally lying in said recess Ito coperate with the main hammer rest rail in forming a total hammer rest rail, and means connecting said secondary hammer rest rail and the power pneumatic whereby it is actuated.

5. In' a piano, the combination with a hammer shank and a main hammer rest rail adapted to engage said hammer Shanks, of a power pneumatic secured to said main hammer rest rail, a secondary1 hammer rest rail actuated by said power pneumatic and adapted to engage said hammer shank, a main suction chamber, a communication between the power pneumaticand the main suction chamber, a valve for controlling said communication, and means adapted to be actuated by the operator for controlling said valve.

6. In a piano, the combination with hammers, hammer Shanks and a main hammer rest rail adapted to engage said hammer Shanks, of a plurality of power pneumatics secured to said hammer rest. rail, a Secondary hammer rest rail adapted to be actuated by each power pneumatic 4and to engage the Shanks of a portion of the hammers in the piano, and individual means for operating each vof Said power pneumatics.

-In a piano, the combination with hammers, hammer shanks and a.main hammer rest rail therefor with longitudinal suction chambers therein, of a plurality of power pneumatics secured to said. hammer rest rail, a' secondary hammer rest rail adapted tobe actuated by each power pneumatic and to affect only a portion. of the hammers in the piano, a main suction chamber, a valve mechanism secured thereto foreach power pneumatic, a tube extending from each valve mechanism to the end of the main hammer rest rail and into communication with its corresponding suctionchamber and power pneumatic, and means for separately -controlling each of said Valve mechanisms.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

. WILLIAM G. BETZ.

Witnesses:

G. H. BoINK, O. M. MCLAUGHLIN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

